Apparatus for shelling palm nuts



Nov. 8, 192 7.

R. B. JOHNSTON APPARATUS FOR SHELLING PALM NUTS 3 Sheets-Shet l Filed Jan. 12. 1922 BY A TTORNEYS Nov. 8, 1927.

. l,648,456 R. B. JOHNSTON v APPARATUS FOR SHELLING PALM NUTS Filed Jan. 12. 1922 5 sheets-sheet 3 A TTORNE y;

Patented Nov. 8, 1927.

UNITED STATES emes mrsi eresses.-

B. JOI-INSTON, OF COLLINGSWOOD, NEW' JRSEY, AsIGNGR TO CHABLES NVILSON COMPANY, ING., OF NEW' YORK, N. Y., A COBPOBATON OF NEW YORK.

APPARATUS FOR SHELLING PALM NU 'TS.

Application filed January 12, 1 922. Serial Ne. 523,798.

This invention relates to. a nut shelling method and apparatus and more particularly to a method and apparatus 'for opening or shelling paln nuts or the like; and has speeal reference to the provision of a method and apparatus of this nature adapted for opening tough, stone-like shelled nuts such as the Babassu palm nut.

e 'The Babassu palm nut, a species of palm nuts occurring extensively in Brazil grows in clusters or bunches on the Babassu palm tree, the bunches which may be about 5 feet long hearing about 700 nuts and having'a total weight of approximately 150 pounds. Each o' the nuts, which is about the size of alarge lemon, weighs about one quarter of a pound and is composed oi an outer fibre shell (periearp) and a very hard inner shell (endocarp) encasing the kernels. The inner shell is from 7 to inch thck measured 'from the pericarp to the kernels and is com posed of a hard, homogeneous stone-like substance interspersed with Woody fibre running therethrough andrunning longitudinally 'of the nut; This'endocarp or stone-like shell encascs a plurality of oil bearing kernels, each oi' the kernels being encased by the stone walls ot the endocarp,' the number of kernels ina nut varying from 2 to 5, some more or less. The kernels of the'Babassu nut are each about 1 inches long and of an inch thick and are richly laden with a useful oil. the kernels containing about 70 pereent of a clear', light sweet oil used for edible and other purposes. ,The tough, hard and thiok nut shells render the nut extremely difiicultto crack, the cracking or shelling of the nut so that allthe hernels are freed from their sacs or cavities where a maximum yield is desired and so that all the kernels are removed in a noncrushed or unbroken condition for the better preservation of the oils during shipment ot' the kernels being diflicult ot' attainment. v

. Heretofore several. methods of opening or shellingr these nuts have been used, a common method employed eonsisting of the cracking ot the nut by subjecting the same to heavy blows or crushing action. In'the practice of such method the meat or kernels of the nut are often crushed, mashed or broken along with the shell. this being undesirable; and in the practice ot this method it has been found very difficult to completely free the kernels from their enclosures or sacs so that the kernels may be removed With facilty after the cracking operation. The provision` of a method and apparatus in which the erushing or craeking of the shells is done away with and the crushing of the kernels obviated and in which the shell may be opened in a comparatively faeile manner so that all the eavities or sa'cs arebroken to liberateor.`

'free tne kernels and thus render the subsequent removal of the same from the saos a simple operation is a prime desideratum of my present invention.

As heretofore mentioned,

the endocarp or hard interier shell is composed of a stone:

like, homogeneous substance nterspersed with Wood-like fibres runnmglongtudmally therethrough. e These fibres render the hard sheli q'i-amy with the :grain disposed longi tudinally oi the nut. Thisgran n the nner shell permits the nut to be severed and splt lengitudinally with comparative ease; and I have :found that the nut may be severed along or with the nut grain into a plurality of longitudinal sections so that the kernels are treed from their enclosing walls in an uncrushed condition, with the kernels in condition ready to be picked or removed from their sacs; and the provsion -of a method and apparatus in which the nut` is severed into a plurality of longitudinalseotions and severed so as to free the kernels from their enclosures in the state desired, is a prime desideratum of my present invention.

As above indicated, the Babassu nut bears a number of kernels, the number ranging from 2 to 5, some more or less. In order to obtain a maximum yield of kernels during shelling of the nut I have found it desirable to sever the nuts so that all the kernel sacs may be opened in a single shelling step and the provision of a method and apparatus for accomplishing this end is another prime desideratum of my invention. Each of the kernels is housed in the shell and the kernels are spaced in the shell circumferentially. of the nut and in ,a substantially symmetrical manner. In the practice of my methodto attain .the desired end the nut is severed into a plurality of substantially similar longitudinal and preferably wedge shaped sections, the nut being opened in a symmetrical manner to break through all of the kernel enclosures.

he principal objeets ot my presentinvention'ma be said to inelude besides the provision of a method and appa-ratus for open- I of this nature in which the longitudinal or wedge shaped sections into which the nut is divided may be split or spread apart during the severing operation so that the severing takes place for only part of the nut length, this preventing or minimizing the citting into thekernels themselves; the further provision of such a method in which the severing and splitting of a nut takes place progressively from one end of the nut towards the other and short of such other end, the spilt sections being held together by such end after the 'severing` and splittng or spreadng v steps; the further provision of an'apparatus forcarrying'outthe method, which may be 'peratedbya native and in which shellirrg of the nuts may be accomplished on the field without the necessity of shippingthe heavy nuts to a remote shelling station and the provision of a method and apparatus of the kind referred to which may be carried on and operated 'with facility for obtaining a large yield ata low 'operating cost.

`-To the accomplishment of the foregoing and snch other objects as may hereinafter appear, my invention consists in the elements and their 'relation one to the other, as hereinafter particularly described and sought to be' definedin the claim, reference being had to the accompanying drawings which show a preferred embodiment of my invention and in which:

Figur-e l is an elevational view oi? my app'ara'tus showing its attachment to the trunk of a tree,

` Fignre 2 is a view of a detail taken in cross section on the 'line 2-2, Figure l,

`Figure isa `*front elevational view of the app m u i FigureA is a top plan View thereo'f,

'Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view ofparts of the apparatus and showing the manner in which a nut is shelled or opened,

` Figure Gis a view of the Babassu nut,

Figure 7 s a view thereof taken in cross section on the line 7-7, Figure 6,

Figure 8 is a perspectiveview of the nut when opened in accordance with my invention, i

Figure 9 is a perspectve view of the cuttinz member employed, and

Figures' 10 and 11 are plan views of two forms of cuttingmembers. i

'Referring first to Figures 6 and`7 of thedrawings, the Babassu nut having the conlig uration or appearance shown in Figure 6 is shown composed of an outer shell or pericarp ;0, 'which maybe about of an inch thiok and aninner shell (endocarp) 71 the said iI-` ner shell being substantia'lly about inch thek, and an intermediate layer Z separating the percarp from the endocarp, the said `ripen-the kernels shrink away from the Walle oftheir sacs, this being shown particularly inFigure T of the drawings. Theinnershell n is composed, as heretofore men'tioned, ;of ahard, stone-likesubstance interspersed with woody bres 7` runningtherethrough and longitudinally of the nut.

As heretofore pointed out, "a prime desideratum of my invention comprehends a i method and an apparatus in whichthe'Ba bassu nutmay be broken or 'opened without subjecting the kernels Ic to `crushing action,

my invention comprehending a` method `in which the inner shell may be broken -wi th comparative ease. To this 'end the nut is severedalong longitudinal planes with 'the nut separatcd or divided into a plurality of longitudinal sections, the nut being severed along or with the longitudinal grain thereof. To free the kernels from their sacs I have found it desirable to so sever the nut as to cut through the walls of the secs, thekernels being: then i 'free to be 'pioked or removed` after the `nut is divided into'its longitudinal sections. To this end my present invention comprehends the severing of the `'nut along 'longitudinal planes and pre'fer-ably along planes radiating from the axis of the nut with the planes intersecting the walls of the sacs or cavities of the `kernels. Thisis shown in Figur-e 7, for example, and referring to this figure my invention contemplates lili) the severing ofthe nut along planes such as i tion of a nut With respect `to the cutting' member. In this manner the nut is severed into a plurality of substantially wedge shaped sections with the nut so severed as to .break not only the hard and tough inner shell, but to break the same to free substantially all the kernels from the nut. To accomplish these desired ends, I provide a cutting member 15 provided with a plurality ot blades orknives such as 16, 17 18, 19and 20, the said knives being arrange'd in planes running' longitudinally of the 'cutting member and prcterablvin planes radiating from a common flXlS. In the practice ot 'the method the Babassu `nut isdisposed or positioned relative to the cutting member 15 so that the nxis of the nut is substa-ntially in alinement withthe common axis of the outting member, as shown particularly in Figure 1 of the drawings, and with the nut so positioned *thecutting member and nut are forced one into the other to effect the desired severing of the nut into the wedge sh'aped sections, as shown particularly in Figure 5 of the drawings. In the practice ofthis method I have` found that the nut may he opened with a considerable degree of facility and that the nut enclosures or sacs may be broken in an efiicient manner to relieve or free all of the kernels from the shell, with the kernels in a condition' ready to be picked or otherwise removed from the shell.

'For the purpose of preventing injury or damage to the kernels themselves, I have :found it desirable to cut or sever the nut in such a manner as to prevent the cutting into the kernels by the cutting member. To this end the nut is severed along longitudinal planes preterably for a length less than the full length of the nut and the severed sections are progressively spread apart so that substantially the remaining'portions of the nut may be split apart. This spreading of the' sections 'of the nut also facilitates subsequent removal of the kernels. T o this end each of the blades or knives 16 to 20 of the cutting member comprises a wedge shaped element as clearly shown. in the drawings, and in the practice of the method each of the knives simultaneousl-y cuts the nut into its sections and spreads the'said sections apart. I prefer to practice the combined cutting and spreading step so that the sections are split apart for a length o the nut less than the fulllength of the nut with all the sections held together at one end of the same, the nut so treated having the configuration as shown, for example, in Figure 8 of the drawings. Referring to this figure, the nut isshowndivided into a plurality of sub stantially wedge shaped sections 21, 22, 23,

24 and 25, with kernels k eXposed in their cavities in the inner shell n, all of the wedge shaped sections being held together at the unbroken or uncut end of the nut 26.

Although it is preferred to provide a eutting member having about five blades or knives, as shown particularly in Figures 9 and 10 of the drawings, this to the end of providing means for cutting through all of the kernel sacs, my invention contemplates a variation in the number of knives or blades used such as a cutting member of the Construction shown in Figure 11 in which a less number of cuttng blades such as 27, 28 and 29 are used. It is preferred to increase the number of cutting blades to increase the kernel yield in the shelling operation.

For the purpose of seating the nut on the cutting member and for the purpose of etl'ecting a deeper cut in the exterior portions of the shell, this further minimizing the cutting into the kernels themselves, the knives or blades 16 to are fashioned to provide the concave cutting edges 16', 17', 18', 19' and 20', the concavity of these parts being so predetermined as to provide a pocketed seat tor the nut to accommodate the end portion of the same, as shown, tor

provided with a bore receiving the shank;

portion 33 of the cutting member 15, the said cutting member being removably inserted in the bore and held in position as by means ofthe bolt 34. Formed preferably ntegrally with the fr'ame structure I provide the guide sleeve 35 and slidably mounted in this guide I provide the hammer or plunger 36, the said hammer or plunger being arranged to be movable to and from the cutting member 15 for the breaking or opening of a nut N located therebetween. As heretofore pointed out, the knife edges of the cutting member are suitably contoured to provide a seat tor the bottom of the nut N and for the purpose of providing a seat for the top of the nut, the hammer or plunger 36 is suitably recessed as at 37, to fit the upper end configuration of the nut N, as particularly shown in Figures 1 and 5 of the drawings. In the operation of these parts the nut N is seated on the cutting member 15 with the axis of the nut substantially in alinement with the axis of the cutting member and the plunger or hammer 36 is moved downwardly with the upper end of the nut seated in the recess 37, the nut being forced into 'the cutting member in the downward movement ot' the pluuger 36.` The parts are, furthermore, so relatively arranged that the plunger preferably moves down a predetermined distance, as shown in Figure 3 of the drawings, to ei't'ect the cutting of the nut into its sections tor a portion only of the length of the nut and to effect the splitting of the nut by the Wedge shap'ed knives for a. length short of the full length of the nut for the purposes heretofore recited. lVith large sized nuts, however, the plunger need not be forced to its fully descended position.

In the present embodiment of ny apparatus the nuts N are preterably ted by hand, although my invention contemplates the *teeding of' the nuts automatically and in the present exemplification of my invention I prefer to operate the hammer or plunger 36 by hand adapting the apparatus to the" individual use ot a'native. Although the mechanism 'for Operating the plunger may be'varied wthm wide limits, I prefer to llu provide the apparatus shown in *the drawings, it having been found that ths apparatus provides the necessary power t'onopening the nuts to be operated With facility by hand, this apparatus comprising preterably a `toggle link mechanism With 'means tor actuati ng the same. Re'fe'rring to Figures l to 3 otthe drawings, I show the toggle links 38 and 39 connected together at one e'ndin a manncr as Will be described presently, the

other end ot" the toggle link 39 being pivotally connected to 'the upstanding cars 40 ofthe plunger36, the other end of the toggle l'nk38 being pivotally connected ,to the side `-plates 41 attached to a projectng head 42 preferably 'Orming part ot' the treme structure 30, the said plates 4 1 beingattached -to the head as by *means ot' the bolts Connected to the adjacent and attached ends ot "the toggle links 38 and 391 provide the connecting link 44, these links being connected together in a -manner 'as shown particularly in F igure 2 of the drawings to permit of the desired strength and rigdity of the parte. Reterring to Fignre 2, I show each of 'the links such as 33 and 44 laterally grooved as at 45 and 46 respectively tor receiving the flanges 'of the fianged side disks 47 and 48, thesad CllSkS attachng the links, together and permittlng the necessary relative movements thereot', all the parts being Secured together as by means of the threaded bolt 49 and the nut 50, a Washer 51 being interposed between the flanged disk 48 and the nut and a pin 52 being provided tor preventing endwise movement ot the nut. For the purpose ot providing a suitable bearin'g for the ends of all the links, I also preferably provide the drum or sleeve 53 between the flanged disks 47 and 48, the ends of the links being `suitably contoured to bear upon the said sleeve.

For the purpose ofoperating the links l provide the handle or arm 54 adjustably mounted in a block 55 and held in any adjusted position to suit the needs of theoperator as by means of the bolt 56, the block being fixed on a shaft 57 journalled in op-i posed bearings 58 and 59 provided in the side plate portions 60 and 61 of the frame 30. Connecting the link 44 and the shat't 57 I provide the spaced arms 62 and 63, the

, said arms being pivotally connected to the on the "field atior near the nut growing region, I preferably construct the same so as to be suitably supported on the trunk of a` p 'tree or like support and to this end Iprovide means Whereby the apparatus may be strapped in position on a tree trunk. "170 aceomplish this the frame 30 is provided ada jacent its upper end with opposed armportions 67 and 68 made preferably integrallyl chain being received by the hooked bolt- 73 adjustably mounted in the ear 74, the letter formed -pret'erably' integrallywith the arm 68 an adjusting nnt 75 being provided for increasing the tension on the chain 72 and adapting the apparatus to trunks of various diameter-s. For suitably positioning the bottom ot the apparatus I provide the opposed toes ?6 and T"? ormed preferably integrally With the bottom portion of the frame' 30, the said toesbeing contoured to embraee the lowerpart of the tree trunk. y

The practice, of my method and the use and operation ot my apparatus Will, in the main, be apparent from the above detaled description thereot'. `lVhen the nuts arefed by hand they are positioned on the cutting member 15 by the native and the perating arm or handle 54`-is forced down to efl'ect the closing ot the toggle links38 and 39 `fol" torcing the descent of the plunger `36, this efi'ecting the forcing of thenut -N ;and the cutting member 15 one into the other for the severing ot' thenut along' longitudnal planes and preterably along planes radiating rom the axis of the nut, the opening of thenut starting from one end of the same and progressing toWards the other 'endi The nut is severed into a pluralty'of Wedge shaped sections such that all the kernel `sacs or enelosures are broken, With the nuts exposed and `treed therefrom. The cutting of the nut takesplace through a `portion of the nut less than the full length thereof, the severed sections being simultaneously and progressively spreadiapart to effect a spltting of the sections 'tor a length to expose substantially. the 'ull length of the kernels of the nu't. The severing and spreading operation is carred on for substantially the full length ot the nut but falling short of one endso that all the sections are retained in a cluster. This facilitates the subsequent handling ot' the nut and permits the kernals being Shaken from the nut in a simple nanner When-the kernels are loose therein.

It Will be apparent `from the foregoing that I have provided a relatvely simple aploo paratus utilizable in the practice of a method in which the tough, hard nut shell of the Babassu nut may be broken without mashing or crushing the kernels of the nut, a higher grade kernel being thereby obtained; and it will be further apparent that with my method a maximum yield of kernels may be obtained not only but that the kernels may be so conditoned in the nut opening step as to render the same easily removable as by shaking the nut or picking the kernels therefrom in the subsequent operation.

/Vhile I have shown my device in the preferred form. it will be ohvious that many changes and modifications may be made in the structure disclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention, dened in the following claim.

I claim:

An apparatus for shelling palm nuts or the like, comprising a cutting member including a plurality of knives arranged about a common nxis, the outting edges of the knives being contoured and the knives rela-- tively arranged to provide a pocketed seat for accommodating the end portion of a palm nut so that the paln nut may be positioned relatively to the knives with the axis of the former substentially aligned with the common axis of the letter a plunger of substantially cylindrical shape having tan end there of recessed to provide means for seating the other end of the nut, and means to relatively move the cutting member and plunger, the said knives being wedge shaped so as to efl'ect a 'combined severing of the nut into sections and spreading apart of such section( Signed at Glouoester City in the county 'of Camden and State oi' New Jersey this 27th day of December, A. D. 1921.

ROBERT B. JOHNSTON. f 

